You all have no idea how long I've been trying to keep myself from divulging verified information about the much-talked-about, all-new Huawei Nova 2i.

I've been using the handset for several weeks now and I'm happy that I've finally been given the go signal to disclose how I feel about this incredible midrange release.

Our friends from Huawei gave me a unit to play with when they took me as well as my blogger friends to China to visit their headquarters, QA testing facilities, as well as tourist destinations in their homeland, including The Forbidden City and The Great Wall of China -- and since then, I've been thoroughly impressed by the overall quality and performance of the device, enough for me to want to recommend this to my friends and readers.

Before I give you my initial review of Huawei Nova 2i and show you sample photos and videos taken using its Dual Rear Cameras and Dual Front Optics (for a total of four cameras), let's first do a traditional TechPinas Unboxing of the smartphone.

Huawei Nova 2i ships in this rectangular white box that looked almost too plain if it didn't have this iridescent patch on top, flaunting the name of the phone it contains.

On the side, you will see the words "Huawei Design", which I believe you'll find printed on the packaging of mobile devices by the company from here on out.

Removing the safety seals and lifting the outer case, we're greeted by the handset itself sandwiched between two smaller boxes housing the included accessories.

I like this unconventional device placement in its packaging. I reckon the boxes and the pads on the side and either ends of the phone further minimizes the risk of damage during shipment.

Alright! Let's pull our Nova 2i out and check out all the items that are inside the boxes.

This is the complete Huawei Nova 2i retail package that I'd been given. It didn't include a printed user manual, which is alright for me since I hardly read such material; I think it's also better for the environment. I'm not sure, though, if the official retail pack for the Philippines won't have it too.

Huawei has been including a free protective case in the retail pack of their midrange to high-end handsets for past five years now -- and it's nice that the Nova 2i has one too so you won't have to purchase one separately.

This travel charger supports 2A output for relatively fast charging.

The bundled earphones don't have in-ear silicone buds, which I know some of you prefer since it's not as tiring on the ears to wear for multiple hours. Its sound quality is pretty acceptable for a pair that's bundled for free with a mid-level phone. To be frank, the basses could be deeper and more resounding; This is more obvious when listening to uptempo songs.

Huawei Nova 2i has a microUSB 2.0 port instead of the new USB Type C -- not a big deal for me, though. At least, I know it supports the many microUSB 2.0 cords - for charging and transferring data - that I have all around our house.

Here's the SIM Tray ejector. Interesting design, eh?

Alright! Now, let's take a quick look at the handset itself.

"Nova" is the new name of Huawei's line of mid-level Android smartphones -- and the Nova 2i is currently their hero handset in this category.

Frankly, unlike other Chinese handset makers, Huawei has yet to have a best-selling midrange handset in Philippines. I believe the company intends to change that with this stellar new model.

As a Filipino tech blogger who has already taken Huawei Nova 2i for a spin, I'll tell you this: "If Huawei could price this model very competitively, it could end up being the company's first massively successful mid-level Android smartphone. Heck, for me, this handset has what it takes to become the best-selling midrange release of 2017 and early 2018." It's true.

From its design and build, right down to its imaging capabilities and display quality, Huawei Nova 2i - I'd say - is one of the best smartphones that you can get with your money this year. I'm now working on my full review of this device to prove that -- so stay tuned for my follow-up article.

Inside, the phone runs its EMUI 5.1 flavored Android 7.0 Nougat operating system with a 64-Bit 2.36 GHz Octa Core Kirin 659 processor that integrates Mali-T830 graphics, has 4GB of RAM for multitasking, and comes with 64GB of onboard storage that can be augmented using the hybrid secondary nanoSIM slot that supports microSD card memory expansion.

So much does Huawei Nova 2i cost in the Philippines and when will it be available nationwide? Well, Huawei Philippines has yet to disclose the model's official suggested retail price. My fingers are crossed, though, hoping that it would cost less than Php 17,000. As for its availability, I believe this handset should hit store shelves across the country within the next few days (or by mid-October 2017). As always, keep checking TechPinas for updates about this stellar new smartphone.